Student leaders boycott talks

 STUDENT leaders at the University of Technology did not turn up for talks yesterday with Higher Education Minister Delilah Gore and Office of Higher Education director David Kavanamur who were dispatched to Lae by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

The government delegation, including the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Isaac Lupari, only met with interim chancellor Sir Nagora Bogan and acting vice-chancellor Prof John Pumwa.

It was reported that the students’ representative council and the student body were divided over whether to meet the government delegation, resulting in only the media being able to meet with the delegation at the National Agricultural Research Institute outside Lae.

Students manned the main entrance to the Taraka campus into the second day of their boycott of classes and turned away vehicles. 

They initially did not allow Pumwa to leave the campus but later allowed him out to meet with Gore and her delegation.

Frustrated parents and residents inside the campus called up complaining about the attitude of some of the students who were questioning everybody at the gates.

“I can’t believe it, these are university students who are striking for a sole purpose to get the attention of the government, why frisk people who are not students and who are going in and out of the campus, they even questioned and searched my children who are high school and primary school students, this is unbecoming,” a mother who is a resident at the campus, said.

SRC president Eddie Nagual could not be contacted for his response but the student body remained adamant that the boycott would continue until reinstated vice-chancellor Dr Albert Schram returned to PNG to resume duties.